WASHINGTON – Pennsylvania is the country’s second-largest natural gas producer, third largest energy producer and fourth-largest coal producer but it had no seat at President Trump’s energy round table Wednesday.
There was room around the table, though, for state officials from Georgia, Iowa, Alaska, Nebraska and even Maine, which ranks 44th among all states energy production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Pennsylvania ranks third in overall energy production behind Texas and Wyoming, which also had no state-level representation at the roundtable. One Texan, chairwoman of the Alabama Coushatta tribe, did participate.
“We’re going to work to help the United States achieve energy dominance and that’s what’s happening,” Mr. Trump told participants during the seven minutes reporters were allowed to observe the otherwise closed session. “We’re here to talk about how we can create new prosperity for our citizens by unlocking vast treasures of energy reserves which we have.”
He said the federal government’s regulations put energy wealth “just totally out of reach,” particularly for Native American communities affected by government infringement on tribal sovereignty.
The round table was meant to highlight the Trump administration’s commitment to growing domestic energy production. Participants included the four governors, two state officials from Georgia, 10 tribal leaders and Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and several other administration officials.
“Today’s conversation is a chance for these state, local and tribal leaders to discuss how we can cooperate and support them in unleashing these domestic energy reserves,” Mr. Trump said.
A spokesman for the White House said: “Any suggestion that Pennsylvania is being excluded from the President's energy agenda is completely ignoring the fact that this administration has put the state at the forefront of the energy conversation. As the voters of Pennsylvania who put the President into office understand well, the Trump Administration recognizes the vital role the state of Pennsylvania will play in achieving U.S. energy dominance. Whether it is the removal of burdensome energy regulations, or the celebration of the energy sector's early successes, such as the recent coal mine opening in Somerset County, the President has been steadfast in his commitment to unleashing American energy so that Pennsylvania will experience the job creation and economic growth this country desperately needs.”
A spokesman for Gov. Tom Wolf said he wasn’t aware of any invitations extended to anyone in Pennsylvania state government.
Frank Maisano, an energy specialist at the lobbying firm Bracewell, said the absence of Pennsylvanians from Wednesday’s panel doesn’t reflect the role their state is expected to play in the all-of-the-above energy plan that the Trump administration is now touting in what it calls “Energy Week.”
He said Mr. Trump’s appointment of Robert F. Powelson to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shows that he values the Pennsylvania perspective. Mr. Powelson is a member of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and had served on former Gov. Tom Corbett’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission.
Mr. Maisano expects to hear more about Pennsylvania’s role in the administration’s energy plan Thursday when Mr. Trump addresses industry leaders in Washington about his plan to unleash American energy.
“He’s going to talk about energy dominance and the role exports can play in establishing that dominance. And certainly the national gas industry has been a huge player in our ability to be in that position,” Mr. Maisano said. “Whether Pennsylvania was in [Wednesday’s round table] meeting or not it’s going to be front and center in the spotlight Thursday.”
Washington Bureau Chief Tracie Mauriello: tmauriello@post-gazette.com; 703-996-9292 or on Twitter @pgPoliTweets.
First Published: June 29, 2017, 12:54 a.m.
